1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of beverage containers and, more particularly, to a reusable and portable beverage bottle adapted for the metering and blending of dosages of beverage mix therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bottled water has become widely available and of dramatically increasing popularity over the past several decades. Recent estimates have a valuation of global bottle water sales of around $60 billion and a volume of more than 115,000,000 cubic meters (3.0×1010 US gal) in 2006. Sales in the United States alone have reached around 30 billion bottles of water in 2008, with the rate of consumption having more than quadrupled between 1990 and 2005. By one estimate, approximately 50 billion bottles of water are consumed per annum in the U.S. and around 200 billion bottles globally.
With such popularity has come some controversy about the potential health effects of bottled water. In the United States, bottled water and tap water are regulated by different federal agencies: the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates bottled water and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the quality of tap water.
Issues surrounding tap water can exist that although the Safe Drinking Water Act regulates a set maximum contaminant levels for approximately 90 contaminants that might be found in drinking water and 15 secondary maximum contaminant levels, the addition of fluoride treatment to tap water to prevent tooth decay has been a main target of controversy used to encourage bottled water distribution. Since bottled water processed with distillation or reverse osmosis lacks fluoride ions which are present in some natural ground water. In contrast, the drinking of distilled water may increase the risk of tooth decay due to a lack of this element now added to many water supplies.
Similarly, issues surrounding bottled water also exist. According to a 1999 NRDC study, roughly 22 percent of brands were tested in which at least one sample of bottled drinking water contained chemical contaminants at levels above strict state health limits. Some of the contaminants found in the study could pose health risks if consumed over a long period of time. The NRDC report conceded that “most waters contained no detectable bacteria, however, and the level of synthetic organic chemicals and inorganic chemicals of concern for which [they] were tested were either below detection limits or well below all applicable standards.”1 1Natural Resources Defense Counsel: http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/bw/bwinx.asp
Another rapidly growing concern evolving around bottled water is the non-sustainability surrounding the use of the plastic containers themselves in that a high percentage of the bottled water contained in plastic containers land filled after use. Additionally, although some bottled water is contained in glass, researchers believe some water in the plastic containers may leach chemicals into the water from the plastic containers.2 Leaching of chemicals into the water is felt to be related to the plastic bottles being exposed to either low or high temperatures. 2UPI.com “Heath News”: http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/03/27/Estrogenic-chemicals-in-bottled-water/UPI-85521238211685/?feature=global_water
In addition, a new trend in the bottled or tap water beverage market is the emergence of a new product category of “liquid water enhancers”. Typical of such products is the MiO™ liquid drink enhancer provided by Kraft Food Group Inc. MiO™ is a zero calorie liquid beverage mix that offers artificially sweetened beverage options in multiple flavors. Originally released by Kraft Foods in March 2011, new products, such as MiO Energy™ have been launched in 2012, and MiO FIT™ being launched this year.
The use of liquid water enhancers require the purchased of bottled water, or the use of tap water into reusable drinking containers. However, to date there have been no containers that have been specifically adapted such effective and efficient use.
Some containers are known that incorporate various mechanisms for mixing or metering a solution into a common liquid container. For example:
PCT International Phase Publication WO 97/16101, published in the name of Scudder, describes a container that has both a liquid and a solid, separated in different cavities. A breakable diaphragm dividing the two causes mixing when broken. This structure is designed for a self heating, or self cooling liquid container.
U.S. Pat. No. D649,883, issued in the name of Foster, discloses a container in which a secondary chamber is located within the base and internal to the primary contained fluid volume.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,850,043, also issued in the name of Foster, discloses a self contained mixing and dispensing container having a secondary metering chamber that dispense a metered amount of liquid through a diaphragm.
U.S. Patent Publication US2008/0289976, published in the name of Henry, describes a secondary mixing chamber that is attachable to the mouth of a water (or milk) bottle. Mixing is accomplished by pouring through the secondary chamber.
U.S. Patent Publication US2006/0113201, published in the name of Micic et al., described a drinking bottle having a flavor concentrate container. A metering means activated by a thumb screw portions concentrate into the main fluid chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,066,323, issued in the name of Reisman, describes interlocking beverage mixing containers in which a mouth of a second container is threaded into the bottom of the first and forces open a seal, thereby allowing mixing between the two chambers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,404,811, issued in the name of Cernei, discloses a similar dual threaded container. However, in this version the two chambers are separately designed units, intended to be connected as a unit and separated by a spacer until broken to use.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,368, issued in the name of Frutin, discloses a device for metering an additive into a liquid package in which a plunger releases a concentrated through a syringe like dip tube into the main liquid container.
U.S. Patent Publication US2002/0066679, published in the name of Moscovitz, discloses a secondary container, attachable to the mouth of a bottle, holding a flavoring concentrate through the use of a breakable barrier. A plunging mechanism breaks the barrier after connected and sealed.
And, U.S. Pat. No. 7,992,735, issued in the name of Bullard et al., discloses a storage and mixing container that inserts coanularly within a main chamber and releases contents when depressing a plunger mechanism.
It is preferable that a beverage container that is adapted and configured for the blending of liquid water enhancer into a beverage volume of water would provide for: a removable, cleanable and refillable reservoir for adding concentrated liquid to water; a system for the measured metering of multiple doses of such concentrated, thereby allowing for the main bottle to be refilled several times with water without need for refilling the reservoir; and allow for all parts to be easily removed, cleaned and reused. Consequently, a need has been felt for providing an apparatus and method which provides an improved water bottle adapted for the metering and blending of dosages of beverage mix therein.